Adventure to Huntington, Part 2: The One-Room School Museum!

It's not every day a little black bear gets to visit a one-room school! Your school probably has many classrooms and teachers, and you may take as school bus to get to school and go home each day. About 100 years ago, your school day would have been very different. It is so wonderful when we can visit places that show us what life was like long before we were born!

When Mrs. Sponaugle and I were walking to Jenkins Hall (where all the students at Marshall go to learn how to be teachers), we came across a little white building that didn't fit in with all of the other brick buildings on campus. When we got a little closer, we read a little sign that told us all about Union ( also known as Punkin Center) school! That little white building was built in 1889 in Cabell County, and students in grades one through eight all attended the school - in one little room, with just one teacher all day!

Here is the one-room school, just as we were walking to Jenkins Hall!

Are you ready to go inside?

Children went to this school for many years, until the early 1950s. Even though the school didn't have students walking through its door to learn, they kept the building for many years. One day, someone decided that this school should be moved to a place where many people could see and learn about one-room schools! In 1995, it was moved to Marshall University - and people donated all of the desks and books to make it feel like you were going back in time!

Mrs Sponaugle and I were sure to sign the guest book (I left my paw print)!

Here are some interesting facts about one-room schools in West Virginia (you may need someone to help you read the cursive handwriting)!

Mrs. Sponaugle and I peeked inside and could see how very different classrooms were long ago. I really wanted to go inside and see what it would be like to be a student back then, so we asked very politely for a key to go inside - and we did! We took many pictures so we could tell you all about how schools and classrooms have changed, so please ready the picture captions carefully so you can learn about one-room schools!

Your desks would be in rows facing the blackboard. That's George Washington's portrait above the alphabet. He was our first President of the United States!

The youngest students would be seated up front, so they could see and pay attention better.

These are called Peabody desks. Each seat has a desk attached to the back for the seat behind it. You came and sat in the front row with your slate when it was time for your lesson.

The teacher's desk was in the front of the room, so she could see all the students. Someone brought apples for Berkeley (I mean the teacher)! That Golden Delicious one looks yummy...

The pot belly stove kept you warm during the winter! It was in the middle of the room to keep everyone toasty. The teacher would have to get it going when she arrived at school each day. There was no heat over night, so it could be very chilly in the mornings!

Coal was added to the stove as fuel. It will get your clothes and hands dirty if you are very careful.

How would you do your lessons in a one-room school? There were no computers or colorful textbooks - and there wasn't a school library to check out your favorite story book!

There was a hole in all of the desks to hold your jar of ink! When you were in the upper grades, you would do many assignments with by dipping your pen in the ink, then using your very best handwriting!

A younger student would have lots of chalk to write their lessons on a slate for the teacher. 

Here I am practicing my best cursive. Learning to write neatly was very important, since there were no computers - and very few people had typewriters!

What do you think of Berkeley's handwriting?

What does your spelling book look like?

You may have sat in a corner to study or practice your lessons with another students in your grade. Do you see the bells on the shelf? That is what the teacher would use to start the day and bring the students back to class after lunch!

Hmm. They took good handwriting very seriously!

If you were to get in trouble in school at the turn-of-the-century (which happens to the best of us bears)...

You may have had to write sentences on the blackboard after school! Some bears are just chatterboxes!

You may have to sit in the corner in the front of the room...and wear the dreaded dunce cap! That would not make you feel very good about yourself.

Did you know that teachers couldn't be married long, long ago? I found that fact and more on this website, and this link takes you to more information on one-rooms schools across the USA! School sure has changed a lot for students (and little black bears).

With my favorite teacher :-)

I'm so glad I could share this special experience with you! Think about how different things were "back then" when you are on the school bus tomorrow morning!

Until next time...